DENVER - An 8-year-old with a rare muscle disorder had his wish granted to become Iron Man for a day.
The Make-a-Wish Foundation brought Max Vertin and his family from Nebraska to Colorado so Max could become Iron Man and fly in the air at SkyVenture in Lone Tree, Colo.
Max suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder that slowly eats away at his muscles, his mother Betty told CBS 4 in Denver. Doctors predict he will be in a wheelchair by the time he's 9.
"But he's 8 now and he's still walking, although we are getting measurements for his first wheelchair," Betty Vertin told CBS 4.
Max arrived at SkyVenture last week by limousine and was greeted by a cheering crowd, including Iron Man, who gave Max his own superhero suit.
"This is awesome. This is the break we needed," Max's sister Lexi told NBC 9 News. "It's nice not to be at the doctor's and getting them shots. We can just have fun."
Max, his dad and most of his siblings got to fly in the wind tunnel, which simulated a skydiver falling 100 mph. His brothers, Rowan, 5, and Charlie, 3, also have the disorder. Betty Vertin told CBS 4 that she is a carrier but didn't know until Max was born.
"First of all, it's hard for all three of them to do things. You know they walked late, they ran late," Vertin told NBC 9. "Taking medicine helps them run and jump."
It was a great vacation for their family, Vertin said, and without the Make-a-Wish Foundation, they never could have made the trip.
"It's just an amazing organization with so many volunteers, just good people," she said. "You can just feel their hearts on the outside."%3Cimg%20src%3D%22http%3A//beacon.deseretconnect.com/beacon.gif%3Fcid%3D164609%26pid%3D46%22%20/%3E